Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to recent comments by the Home Secretary to the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, what assessment it has made of any impact of the comments on its ability to provide services to asylum seekers and refugees and, in particular, Afghani asylum seekers and refugees and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about the comments and any such impact.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive is committed to ensuring that good quality and co-ordinated services are provided to all asylum seekers and refugees living in Scotland and continues to work in partnership with a range of bodies to achieve this.

  I and my officials are in regular contact with the Home Office on a range of issues.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines serious violent crime, as referred to in target 1 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , and what measures it will use to reduce serious violent crime.

Mr Jim Wallace: For the purposes of the target, serious violent crime is currently defined as serious assault (including murder and culpable homicide), robbery, all other non-sexual crimes of violence (except possession of an offensive weapon), rape and attempted rape. The measures to be used to reduce such crime are an operational matter for chief constables.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28329 by Mr Jim Wallace on 9 September 2002, whether its target to reduce serious violent crime by 5% by 2004, as referred to in target 1 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , is additional to its target to reduce violent crime by 5% by 2003-04.

Mr Jim Wallace: The target referred to in Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys is the same as that announced in reply to question S1W-24582 on 28 March 2002. The effective date for the target is 31 March 2004.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to agree a new target for a further reduction in serious violent crime for 2006, as referred to in target 1 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: The new target will be agreed in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the conveners of police authorities. An announcement will be made once agreement is reached.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects to reduce fear of crime or seriousness of worry about crime and by what date, as referred to in target 3 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: No specific target figure or date has been set. Currently, the best tool we have to measure the fear of crime is the Scottish Crime Survey . The 2000 Scottish Crime Survey shows that the proportion identifying crime as a serious or extremely serious problem; the proportion feeling unsafe walking alone after dark and the proportion worried about specific types of crimes have fallen steadily in the period between the 1993 and 2000 surveys. The next Scottish Crime Survey  will take place in 2004 and all three indicators are expected to move in the same direction. However, a reduction of two out of the three will be taken as an overall reduction. Full Technical Notes setting out in more detail the definition for each target and how it will be measured will appear on the Scottish Executive website only at the end of this month.

  The additional investment we are making to tackle serious crime such as violence and drugs and the measures we have introduced and the targets we have set to reduce these and other crimes will undoubtedly have a positive impact on how safe our communities feel.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any provision will be made for victims of crime that want support but who do not receive it, in line with target 5 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: Providing better support to victims of crime is the first objective of the Scottish Strategy for Victims. The Executive is therefore working closely with Victim Support Scotland and the criminal justice agencies to improve referral arrangements and to raise awareness of the support available through initiatives such as the publication of the victims’ leaflet and the introduction of the victims’ website. This is intended to ensure that victims who want to, know where to turn for support.

Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any steps will be taken to harmonise the functions of the accreditation panel for community programmes for offenders, as referred to in target 9 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , with the accreditation function of the risk management authority proposed in section 11 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.

Dr Richard Simpson: The work of the accreditation panel referred to in target 9 will focus on the accreditation of community programmes for offenders. The Risk Management Authority will operate under a wider remit. However, in developing National Standards for risk assessment and minimisation, it will have regard to existing relevant schemes and functions such as the accreditation panel.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the targets for the progress of cases through the criminal justice system will be in addition to the existing targets for the Crown Office, as referred to in target 1 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Andrew Normand, the Crown Agent, has been commissioned by the Justice Minister and the Lord Advocate to propose measures to integrate the aims, objectives and targets of the principal agencies in the criminal justice system, the police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service. The intention is to ensure that the organisations work together to ensure that cases pass through the system more quickly than at present, without prejudicing the rights of the accused. New targets will be developed following publication of the report and these will be additional to the targets for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as set out in Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the targets on the progress of cases through the criminal justice system will apply to agencies that report offences, as referred to in target 1 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Andrew Normand, the Crown Agent, has been commissioned by the Justice Minister and the Lord Advocate to propose measures to integrate the aims, objectives and targets of the principal agencies in the criminal justice system, comprising the police, Crown Office and the Scottish Court Service. The intention is to ensure that the organisations work together to ensure that cases pass through the system more quickly than at present, without prejudicing the rights of the accused. New targets will be developed following publication of the report and they will apply to agencies that report offences.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be "action" in respect of crime reports, as referred to in target 2 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Action is defined (1) as the marking decision taken by the procurator fiscal in respect of each crime report received, i.e. to prosecute, to issue a fiscal fine, to make a conditional offer, to issue a warning letter, to pass to the Reporter to the Children’s panel, to divert to a Diversion Scheme, to take no proceedings and (2) as the action taken to implement that decision, i.e., sending a Complaint for service, issuing a Petition Warrant, etc.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any maximum period for action on the remaining 25% of crime reports, as referred to in target 2 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Other than compliance with any statutory time limits, there will be no maximum period for action on the remaining 25% of crime reports referred to in target 2 of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Section of Building a Better Scotland . These will be the more complex cases where the length of time taken could vary widely. Any such cases will be kept under review on a regular basis to ensure that action is taken as soon as quickly as possible.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what method will be used in the public survey to monitor trends in public confidence in the prosecution service, as referred to in target 3 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The public survey has yet to be devised. A measure of public confidence and the methodology to be used have yet to be decided.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the public survey to monitor trends in public confidence in the prosecution service will not start until 2003-04, as referred to in target 3 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The public survey will not start until 2003-04 because thought needs to be given to the appropriate questions to ask, to ensure that national standards for quality control are applied properly in developing the survey.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its present target for issue of indictments will continue to apply, in line with target 6 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of  Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The requirement to issue 100% of indictments within the statutory time limits will remain. Target 6 aims to help speed up the progress of cases through the criminal justice system by securing the earlier indictment of cases.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the differences are between the target for issue of indictments used in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and the new target for issue of indictments and what the advantages are of the new target, as referred to in target 6 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Target 6 is the same as the target for the issue of indictments used in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Crown Office target for issue of indictments, abandoned in 2000-01, is now being partially reinstated in target 6 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The target is being partially re-instated as it encourages the earlier indictment of cases and helps contribute to improving the speed at which cases pass through the criminal justice system.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any target for serving indictments in the remaining 20% of sheriff and jury cases that involve bail, as referred to in target 6 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The remaining 20% of sheriff and jury cases that involve bail will be the more complex cases, where the time required to serve indictments is likely to vary substantially. No formal target has been set, except that an indictment must be served within the statutory time limit.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that resources are not diverted away from meeting statutory time limits for bringing cases to trial in order to meet its targets for the Crown Office, as referred to in target 6 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Improvements in the management of cases and enhancements to our systems that are being made following the Pryce-Dyer Management Review are designed to ensure that the targets can be met without any cases failing to be dealt with within the statutory time limits.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any maximum time limit for communicating court bail decisions to victims in the 10% of cases in which the accused has appeared from custody, as referred to in target 7 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The target to communicate court bail decisions to victims was set at 90% in recognition of the fact that it may not always be possible to contact the victim within 24 hours. This might be because an incorrect address or no address is held for the victim. The Victim Information and Advice Service aims to contact victims in these instances within 48 hours or as soon as practicable thereafter.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will define victims, as referred to in target 7 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Target 7 is to communicate bail decisions to 90% of victims in cases in which the accused has appeared from custody within 24 hours of the court decision. The target applies only where there is a Victim Information and Advice office (currently Aberdeen (including Stonehaven), Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Glasgow, Peterhead (including Banff), Edinburgh and Dundee). Victims are defined as:

  victims in all serious cases, where the nature of the charges is indicative of solemn proceedings;

  the next of kin in cases involving deaths which are reported for consideration of criminal proceedings and death cases where a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be held;

  victims in cases of domestic abuse;

  victims in cases with a racial aggravation and cases where it is known to the Procurator Fiscal that the victim perceives the offences to be racially motivated;

  victims in cases involving children;

  victims in cases involving sexual offences, and

  any other victim, witness or next of kin, where the Victim Information and Advice Service considers that because of particular vulnerability it would be beneficial to provide a service.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for developing the customer satisfaction survey for the Victim Information and Advice Service, as referred to in target 8 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Staff of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are drawing on external expert assistance as appropriate.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whom it envisages will be surveyed in the customer satisfaction survey for the Victim Information and Advice Service, as referred to in target 8 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The survey will be sent to all victims with whom the Victim Information and Advice Service have had contact after their case is closed.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will retain its existing target for routine death inquiries in addition to its new target for death inquiries requiring further investigation, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: No. The new target differs from the former targets in that there is now a target to conclude investigations in complex, rather than just in routine cases, as previously. Although we are not retaining a formal published target for routine cases, we expect procurators fiscal to conclude these investigations within six weeks and we will continue to monitor that. As part of the Crown Office’s commitment to improve the quality of service it provides, there is a new requirement to inform the next of kin of the outcome.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition is of a routine death inquiry, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: A routine death inquiry is one which does not require to be reported to Crown Office for Crown Counsel’s instructions.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition is of a death inquiry requiring further investigation, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: A death enquiry requiring further investigation is defined as:

  a suspicious or violent death or any death in which the circumstances are such as to give rise to serious public concern;

  any death involving a vehicle, including aircraft, ship or train;

  any death by burning or scalding or involving fire or explosion;

  deaths in legal custody, accidental deaths in the course of employment; deaths by poisoning including drugs deaths, gas and solvents;

  suicidal deaths; deaths by drowning; the death of a foster child;

  any death of a newborn child including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, suffocation and overlaying;

  any death apparently caused by fault or neglect on the part of another;

  any death under administration of or attributed to anaesthetic;

  deaths during abortion or attempted abortion;

  deaths involving medical mishap;

  deaths caused by withdrawal of life support sustaining treatment;

  deaths where a complaint is received that medical treatment or absence of medical treatment may have contributed to death, and

  any death brought to the notice of the procurator fiscal where further investigation is deemed necessary in the public interest.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether routine death inquiries and death inquires requiring further investigation, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of  Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , are (a) mutually exclusive or (b) taken together cover all death inquiries.

Colin Boyd QC: Routine death inquiries and death enquiries requiring further investigation taken together mean all death enquiries.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any time limit for the conclusion of those remaining 40% of cases which require further investigation and advising next of kin, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The remaining 40% of cases are expected to be the more complex ones where the time taken to carry out a thorough investigation can vary widely. We are committed to ensuring that the next of kin in these cases are kept informed of the progress of the investigation.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to provide safeguards relating to quality of investigations of deaths that require further investigation to be completed within 12 weeks, as referred to in target 9 in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: All such cases are reported to Crown Office and considered by an experienced member of legal staff there and, where appropriate, by Crown Counsel. Where necessary the procurator fiscal will be instructed to carry out further enquiries and re-report. Any inadequacy in reporting will be drawn to the attention of the relevant procurator fiscal or area procurator fiscal.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether anyone responsible for implementing the targets in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , will receive performance-related pay in connection with meeting these targets and, if so, whether it will list any targets where this is the case.

Colin Boyd QC: In accordance with the Senior Civil Service Pay and Performance Management System, each of the department’s senior staff members has an annual Performance Agreement agreed between the officer and the Chief Executive. Each Performance Agreement contains some key individual performance objectives and targets in addition to corporate objectives (on such matters as diversity, team briefing and change management).

  Senior staff are eligible for annual pay awards in relation to their performance against all their objectives. Staff below the senior civil service also have specific performance objectives against which they are assessed for annual reporting purposes to which a performance related pay system is applied. Individuals’ performance objectives are not published.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a maximum time limit for completion of those 10% of cases of investigations of complaints of criminal conduct by police officers that are not subject to the target set out in target 10(a) in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: Target 10(a) was set at 90% in recognition of the fact that the more complex cases may not be able to be investigated properly within 12 weeks. No formal target has been set but it is intended that the remaining 10% of cases should be completed as soon after the 12 weeks period as possible and that the complainer will be informed of progress.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether target 10(a) in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys on the time period for investigations of complaints of criminal conduct by police officers and advising complainers of outcome replaces the existing Crown Office target for complaints against the police.

Colin Boyd QC: Yes.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what body will give approval of the quality of investigation and decision-making for complaints against the police, as referred to in target 10(b) in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The independent inspectorate to be established by the end of 2003 will give approval or otherwise of the quality of investigation and decision-making in cases involving complaints against the police.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had with staff unions in the Crown Office with regard to its targets for the Crown Office in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: No formal consultation took place but management and unions are in regular dialogue about the programme of reform and modernisation of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to which achievements of these targets will contribute.

Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the non-court costs for the Crown Office in each year (a) since 1999-2000 and (b) to 2005-06, as referred to in the table in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service records the nature of case costs, but does not attribute this to individual cases. Staff time spent on individual cases is not recorded but costing calculations are based on standard weightings derived from past analysis of staff time spent on the full range of different cases handled by the department.

  This produces a broad indication of relative costs rather than precise measures, and non-court costs are calculated to be as follows (£000)

  

 

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



No Proceedings 
  

1,150 
  

1,311 
  

1,533 
  



No Further Proceedings 
  

3,199 
  

4,853 
  

4,488 
  



Warnings 
  

451 
  

528 
  

663 
  



Conditional Offer 
  

308 
  

342 
  

407 
  



Fiscal Fine 
  

704 
  

836 
  

1,206 
  



Diversion 
  

90 
  

95 
  

107 
  



Reporter 
  

52 
  

53 
  

63 
  



Transfer 
  

47 
  

25 
  

29 
  



Associate 
  

257 
  

306 
  

321 
  



Total 
  

6,258 
  

8,349 
  

8,817 
  



  A split of non-court costs for 2002-03 to 2005-06 is not available, as that will depend on the numbers and nature of cases arising in those years.

Diabetes

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 years of age have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. However, clinicians report that at present the numbers are very low but are expected to rise. Type 2 diabetes in children is usually a consequence of obesity.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of its target for increasing the number of drugs seizures, as referred to in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , and whether this target includes seizures by HM Customs and Excise.

Mr Jim Wallace: The target is a national target for a 25% increase in seizures of Class A drugs by the Scottish Police Service. It does not, therefore, include seizures by HM Customs and Excise and no sub-targets have been set either for seizures of different types of Class A drug or for individual police forces.

  However, further information on seizures of controlled drugs can be found in the web version of Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2001 on the national drugs website www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its target to increase the number of drug seizures, as referred to in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , includes any target for (a) particular controlled drugs and (b) class (i) B or (ii) C drugs.

Mr Jim Wallace: The target relates only to Class A drugs.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure its target to reduce the number of drug misusers who inject, as referred to in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: The key performance indicator which will be used to measure progress on achieving the target will be the proportion of new problem drug users seen by drug services and reported to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database, who reported injecting "in the previous month". The data is available annually.

  Account will also be taken of injecting data obtained through national prevalence work, which we have undertaken to repeat every three years. The first national prevalence survey reported in 2001 and contained data for the year 2000.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce the number of heroin users aged 25 and over.

Dr Richard Simpson: Treatment and rehabilitation are key components of the Executive’s Drugs Strategy. We are investing around £34 million, over three years, to support new and improved services provided locally by NHS boards and local authorities. These services address the needs of all age groups, including the over 25s.

  Treatment and rehabilitation should be based on the needs of individual patients. Substitute prescribing of methadone is one of the main treatments for heroin misusers of all ages. International and national research supports the use of methadone to divert misusers from using illegal opiates, stabilising their lifestyles and reducing drug-related crime.

  We also accord high priority to encouraging recovering drug misusers to enter training and employment. We have already given wide distribution to our "Moving On" guidance which is intended to assist drugs services, education, training and employment providers with this important work.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to prevent any diversion of resources to meet its target, as referred to in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , of reducing the number of heroin users aged under 25, from programmes directed at (a) users of other prohibited drugs and (b) other heroin users.

Dr Richard Simpson: The full wording of the relevant target is to "Reduce the proportion of people under 25 reporting use of illegal drugs in the last month and previous year substantially, and heroin use by 25%, by 2005".

  The achievement of the target is dependent on a number of influences and initiatives, including some which are non-drugs specific, and which are aimed at improving the lives and aspirations of young people, particularly those who are the most excluded in our society. Initiatives and services in support of this target will therefore be resourced through a number of different funding streams, including the Changing Children’s Services Fund, NHS allocations, local authority grant aided expenditure, Scotland Against Drugs, social inclusion partnership funding and national and local drug prevention initiatives.

  There is an annual accountability framework in which Drug Action Teams (DATs) report to the Executive annually on work under way and planned in support of national targets, and the identification of resources for drugs-specific work. Issues of concern are taken up with the relevant DATs. There is evidence from the plans of a broad range of work with young people throughout Scotland covering prevention and diversion activities, treatment provision and services for young substance misusing offenders.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many places are currently available for the treatment for drug addiction of (a) under-16s and (b) 16- to 20-year-olds.

Dr Richard Simpson: No information is held centrally about the number of places available for the treatment of drug addiction for these age groups. However, evidence suggests that all DATs have either met the national standard of ensuring that drug misusers aged under 16 have access to drug treatment and care services which are in line with national guidance, or have plans in place to do so in 2002-03.

  Evidence also shows a broad range of service provision for young people throughout Scotland covering prevention and diversion, treatment and care, and services which specifically work with young substance misusing offenders.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) under-16s and (b) 16- to 20-year-olds were treated for drug addiction in each of the last three years.

Dr Richard Simpson: Information is not routinely collected nationally on the numbers of young people being treated for drug addiction. However, the recently published research on young people's treatment services included a survey of 42 services. The survey was conducted between September 2001 and January 2002. It provides the basis for an estimate of the numbers accessing services: 17 services reported a total of 405 under 16s accessing treatment for drugs misuse in the preceding 12 months, and 25 services reported 831 16- to 18-year-olds. The research highlights that this is a rapidly developing area of provision and these estimates are unlikely to accurately reflect the up-to-date picture.

  In addition, the following table provides information on the number of under 16s and 16- to 20-year-olds drug users presenting at a broad range of drug services across Scotland which report to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database:

  Reports to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database 1 April 1998 to 31 March 2001

  New Individual Patients/Clients by Selected Age Groups

  

 

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Under 16s 
  

119 
  

156 
  

176 
  



16- to-20-year olds 
  

1,761 
  

1,837 
  

1,602 
  



  Notes:

  1. All figures in this table exclude penal establishment inmates and information received from needle exchanges.

  2. The definition of "new" is (a) the person is attending the particular service for the first time ever, or (b) the person has attended before but not within the previous six months.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what strategies it will employ to reduce the total number of drug-related deaths, as referred to in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys , and to reduce drug-related illness.

Dr Richard Simpson: Our Drugs Strategy is built around four key themes: young people, communities, availability and treatment. All of these themes are relevant to our objectives of reducing drug-related deaths and illness.

  For example, we support a wide range of projects intended to guide young people away from drug misuse towards healthy and positive lifestyles. Our Know the Score drugs communications work, including an information line, website and information materials, provides factual information about the risks to health from drugs, and where local help and advice can be obtained. Harm reduction information is targeted on drug misusers, and it provides advice on avoiding overdoses and explains risks from injecting and from blood-borne viruses.

  Treatment and rehabilitation programmes help those already involved in drug misuse, and these are intended to reduce dependence on illegal drugs and to restore patients to health, stabilise their lifestyles and to encourage them into training and employment. Because those being released from prison are particularly vulnerable to overdose, additional resources allocated to the Scottish Prison Service are being utilised to ensure effective links between prison and community treatment and care provision. This includes pre-release needs assessment and action planning and the provision of a simple facilitating service for prisoners in the period immediately around release. Evaluation of the service will track issues such as re-offending and the incidence of drug-related deaths.

  Our enforcement bodies are achieving considerable success in reducing the availability of illegal drugs, and protecting communities from drug-related crime. Seizures of Class A drugs, which pose the greatest risks to health, are at record levels.

Drug Misuse

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to agree a new target for an increase in seizures of class A drugs for 2006, as referred to in target 2 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: The new target will be agreed in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the conveners of police authorities. An announcement will be made once agreement is reached.

Drug Misuse

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with chief constables regarding the policing of cannabis offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 should cannabis be reclassified as a Class C drug.

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any potential differences in the policing of cannabis offences between Scotland and the rest of the UK as a result of any reclassification of cannabis to a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Dr Richard Simpson: The Scottish Executive has been in contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland both in the lead up to, and following, the Home Secretary’s announcement on 10 July that cannabis is to be reclassified.

  The policing of drug offences is an operational matter for individual chief constables. Cannabis will remain a controlled drug subject to criminal regulation, and the Scottish police service will continue to report alleged offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to the Procurator Fiscal. Procurators fiscal are, however, not obliged to prosecute such cases and a range of alternatives is available.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21646 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 23 January 2002, whether it has received the advice of the Scottish Rehabilitation Technology Providers Forum Orthotic Sub-Group on whether support tights should be available on prescription from general practitioners.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Rehabilitation Technology Providers Forum (SCOTRET) has provided advice indicating this should be explored.

  Information is now being gathered to allow consideration to be given to whether it would be appropriate to apply for support tights to be included in the Scottish Drug Tariff.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being pursued in respect of the proportion of 10-year-olds that suffer from obesity.

Malcolm Chisholm: SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) Guidelines on the management of obesity are due to be published in winter 2002. "Obesity - children and young people" will focus on weight management and risk factor reduction as well as the role of the patient and family.

  Two of the key risk factors in obesity are poor diet and lack of physical activity. The implementation of the Scottish Diet Action Plan, which prioritises children's diet, is being pursued in a renewed and focused effort to meet the dietary targets set for 2005.

  The Expert Panel on School Meals published draft National Guidelines for School Meals in July 2002. The report, Hungry for Success, sets nutritional standards for school meals as well as measures to improve the appeal and uptake of school meals. As part of our wider approach to health improvement, Building a Better Scotland has committed additional investment to improving the nutritional content and uptake of school meals.

  Increasing the level of physical activity is fundamental to achieving a healthy lifestyle for children and we are determined that every step should be taken to increase participation. The Physical Activity Task Force, which was set up in June 2001, has brought together key agencies in sport and leisure, education, health, fitness, exercise and play in a joint action to help people of all ages enjoy the benefits of physical activity. As part of our wider approach to health improvement, Building a Better Scotland has committed additional investment to expand the Active Primary School programme.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with morbid obesity have received surgery in order to aid weight reduction.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information available is shown in the following table:

  Number of Patients in Scotland Diagnosed with Obesity who have had Surgery to Aid Weight Reduction: Years Ending 31 March

  


Year 
  

Number of Patients 
  



1996-97 
  

38 
  



1997-98 
  

58 
  



1998-99 
  

49 
  



1999-2000 
  

30 
  



2000-01 
  

51 
  



  Source: ISD Scotland SMR1/01 linked data set.

Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which higher education institutions have their own child care facilities on campus and what central funding it has provided specifically to each such institution in respect of such facilities.

Iain Gray: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and decisions on the provision of facilities are a matter for them. The information requested is not held centrally.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is retaining its target of an average of 12 weeks from plea to trial date for summary criminal cases in the sheriff court.

Mr Jim Wallace: With the agreement of Sheriffs Principal, it is intended to introduce a new outcome target for the conduct of summary criminal business in the sheriff court which focuses on the completion of cases rather than the length of one element in the process. However, the period from plea to trial date will continue to be monitored by the Scottish Court Service.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence it has over the duration, including adjournments, of a summary trial in the sheriff court.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no direct influence over the duration of an individual summary criminal trial in the sheriff court, which is primarily determined by the nature of the case and the actions of the participants under the overall direction of the sheriff. However, through the resources provided for the operations of the courts and the prosecution services, the Scottish Executive can have an influence upon the overall efficiency of the criminal justice system.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average duration, including adjournments, of a summary trial in the sheriff court has been in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Mr Jim Wallace: The average duration of summary criminal trials is shown in the following table. The duration of a trial can vary depending on the nature of the case and the volume of evidence which requires to be heard. The average for a court can vary for a number of reasons including changes in the pattern and volume of business.

  Average Duration of a Summary Trial (in Hours) Per Sheriff Court

  





1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



Aberdeen 
  

2.71 
  

2.74 
  

2.63 
  



Airdrie 
  

1.86 
  

1.58 
  

2.88 
  



Alloa 
  

1.84 
  

1.89 
  

2.53 
  



Arbroath 
  

2.15 
  

2.93 
  

2.34 
  



Ayr 
  

2.11 
  

2.29 
  

3.16 
  



Banff 
  

2.33 
  

2.40 
  

2.53 
  



Campbeltown 
  

1.62 
  

1.25 
  

2.41 
  



Cupar 
  

2.46 
  

2.41 
  

2.33 
  



Dingwall 
  

2.00 
  

1.87 
  

1.20 
  



Dornoch 
  

3.07 
  

3.03 
  

1.04 
  



Dumbarton 
  

2.10 
  

1.52 
  

2.35 
  



Dumfries 
  

1.65 
  

1.36 
  

1.91 
  



Dundee 
  

2.77 
  

2.25 
  

2.18 
  



Dunfermline 
  

1.56 
  

1.94 
  

2.52 
  



Dunoon 
  

2.35 
  

2.23 
  

2.32 
  



Edinburgh 
  

2.02 
  

1.65 
  

2.15 
  



Elgin 
  

2.44 
  

2.13 
  

0.83 
  



Falkirk 
  

2.19 
  

1.74 
  

1.88 
  



Forfar 
  

1.83 
  

2.14 
  

2.65 
  



Fort William 
  

2.00 
  

1.51 
  

1.94 
  



Glasgow 
  

1.52 
  

1.38 
  

2.65 
  



Greenock 
  

1.47 
  

1.37 
  

2.84 
  



Haddington 
  

2.09 
  

2.16 
  

2.91 
  



Hamilton 
  

1.64 
  

2.14 
  

2.60 
  



Inverness 
  

1.61 
  

2.08 
  

2.03 
  



Jedburgh 
  

1.42 
  

3.25 
  

3.29 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

0.84 
  

0.71 
  

2.20 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

2.72 
  

2.14 
  

2.22 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

1.94 
  

2.03 
  

0.64 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1.48 
  

3.37 
  

2.40 
  



Lanark 
  

3.17 
  

3.29 
  

2.64 
  



Lerwick 
  

1.92 
  

2.05 
  

1.82 
  



Linlithgow 
  

2.88 
  

2.61 
  

2.63 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

0.38 
  

0.76 
  

1.20 
  



Oban 
  

2.33 
  

2.61 
  

2.18 
  



Paisley 
  

1.85 
  

1.62 
  

1.88 
  



Peebles 
  

1.38 
  

1.08 
  

1.58 
  



Perth 
  

2.60 
  

2.63 
  

2.55 
  



Peterhead 
  

3.03 
  

2.43 
  

3.38 
  



Portree 
  

0.56 
  

1.18 
  

0.81 
  



Rothesay 
  

0.88 
  

0.77 
  

0.88 
  



Selkirk 
  

0.98 
  

1.54 
  

2.79 
  



Stirling 
  

2.38 
  

2.33 
  

2.41 
  



Stonehaven 
  

1.69 
  

1.88 
  

2.48 
  



Stornoway 
  

1.01 
  

1.25 
  

1.52 
  



Stranraer 
  

1.39 
  

1.48 
  

1.13 
  



Tain 
  

2.59 
  

2.44 
  

1.48 
  



Wick 
  

1.99 
  

1.78 
  

2.42 
  



Average for all Sheriff Courts 
  

1.93 
  

1.98 
  

2.15

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what capacity was available for community disposals in each year since 1999-2000, as referred to in target 8 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what capacity of community disposals was specifically designed for (a) women, (b) young people and (c) drug users in each year since 1999-2000, as referred to in target 8 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: The target refers to the capacity for community disposals because it remains a matter for the discretion of the courts to decide whether to impose a community sentence on conviction. Funding from the Executive, therefore, provides capacity for a target number of probation, community service, supervised attendance orders, drug treatment and testing orders and restriction of liberty orders over a 12-month period. The capacity is not defined on a user basis but rather by type of order although the national priorities agreed for criminal justice social work put an emphasis on provision for these groups.

  The actual number of community sentences imposed by the courts in past years is then set out in the series of Statistical Bulletins: Criminal Justice Social Work Statistics. The bulletins for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 provide a breakdown of the use by courts of community disposals by gender and age in those years. They also provide information on the number of probation orders made where the court has imposed an additional specific condition of drug treatment or education. It is anticipated that the bulletin for 2001-02 will be published in December this year.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is proposed to give the accreditation panel for community programmes for offenders any statutory basis, as referred to in target 9 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: The panel will operate as an advisory group providing independent advice to Scottish ministers, with a secretariat from the Justice Department. We do not intend to give it a statutory basis.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any incentive will be provided to local authorities to attain accreditation for community programmes for offenders, as referred to in target 9 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: The Getting Best Results Steering Group which has developed the proposals for the accreditation is a partnership between the Executive, local authorities and academics. The agreed aim of this work is to improve the quality of programmes which work with offenders in order to increase the confidence of the courts in the use of community sentences. The main incentive is that professionals in the local authorities want to ensure that criminal justice social work services are based on the principles of "What Works" and are effective. In addition, extra funding, made available as a result of the spending review, will assist local authorities in preparing programmes for accreditation.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether accreditation for community programmes will apply only to programmes for offenders or also to social work programmes for diversion from prosecution, as referred to in target 9 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Dr Richard Simpson: It is anticipated that the Accreditation Panel will initially wish to focus on programmes which support community disposals made by the courts. However, there is no reason in principle why local authorities cannot put forward for accreditation programmes used in the context of diversion from prosecution.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what other means will be used to increase the number of people getting access to justice by 5% over the period to 2005-06, as referred to in target 10 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive has provided additional funds to the Scottish Legal Aid Board to support a programme of pilot projects aimed at improving access to civil justice. It has also a three-year funding package for the Edinburgh In-Court Advice and Mediation Projects. Other projects may also be launched over the period.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of indictments that involved bail, served in sheriff and jury cases, were served within nine months of the first appearance on petition in each year since 1999-2000.

Colin Boyd QC: The percentage of indictments that involved bail, served in sheriff and jury cases, that were served within nine months of the first appearance on petition in each year since 1999-2000, a period when the volume of solemn business was increasing, were:

  


1999-2000 
  

72% 
  



2000-01 
  

81% 
  



2001-02 
  

72%

Legal Aid

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people gained access to civil justice through (a) legal aid and (b) other means in each year since 1999-2000, and what other means were used.

Mr Jim Wallace: The number of people assisted by legal aid is published in the Annual Reports of the Scottish Legal Aid Board. In addition, the Executive provided financial support to the In Court Advice and Mediation Projects in Edinburgh Sheriff Court, which provided help to unrepresented litigants. A research report on the operation of the projects and the number of people assisted was published in 2002 entitled Supporting Court Users: The In-Court Advice and Mediation Projects in Edinburgh Sheriff Court: Research Phase 2 .

People with Disabilities

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enable the Disabled Persons Housing Service (DHPS) to continue to operate.

Hugh Henry: The DPHS did not originally apply to the Scottish Executive for core funding this year. In the past three years we have provided funding of £55,775, £31,176 and £57,500 and the DPHS also received project grant funding from Scottish Homes.

  The budget for the housing and voluntary sector is now allocated and the Scottish Executive is in discussion with the DPHS about the future of advice and information services for disabled people.

Police

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to audit recorded crime figures supplied by police forces and ensure such figures are recorded correctly following the recommendation in HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland Annual Report 2001-02.

Mr Jim Wallace: Audit visits to police forces are made by members of the Scottish Executive crime statistics team to monitor police recording practice and confirm that the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) guidance set out in the Criminal Statistics Handbook is being followed. It is also a regular feature of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Primary Inspections to audit processes and procedures used within forces to record crime.

  The ACPOS recognise that greater consistency in recording practices could be achieved throughout the country and to progress this the ACPOS Crime Standing Committee established a working group to consider, amongst other matters, the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), recently introduced in England and Wales and assess its potential for adoption in Scotland.

  The working group subsequently recommended the development of a similar national standard of recording for Scotland, with some additional elements built in around victimless crime, auditing procedures and circumstances where police officers happen upon a crime or offence.

  The group also recommended that a project team be established to determine a new set of principles for crime recording, to meet the needs of the Scottish Police Service in the 21st century and that dialogue be initiated with the Scottish Executive to have these agreed as new Scottish Recording Rules.

  Furthermore, it proposed that forces give consideration to the creation of the post of Crime Registrar, such a postholder being responsible for ensuring each force’s compliance with the agreed crime recording principles. Forces are currently in the process of establishing the post of Force Crime Registrar. These individuals will thereafter form the membership of the aforementioned Project Team, which will be tasked with developing the new Scottish Recording Principles.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages providing in-cell sanitation in all prison cells by 2005-06.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The timescale for ending slopping out depends on a number of developments, not all of which have firm timescales. These include implementation of the plans for Barlinnie, Edinburgh, Glenochil, Perth and Polmont announced by the Deputy First Minister on 5 September 2002, the opening of the two new prisons also announced on 5 September, and the closing of existing substandard accommodation as new or refurbished accommodation becomes available. The Deputy First Minister indicated in his statement on 5 September that he hoped that, on current plans and population projections, slopping out would end about a year after completion of the second new prison.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages eliminating overcrowding in all prisons by 2005-06.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The measures announced by the Deputy First Minister on 5 September 2002, including one that will be used to respond to the current rise in remand numbers, namely the procurement of two new 700-place prisons and the programme of investment in the existing public sector estate, are intended to allow the Scottish Prison Service to achieve a better match between available prison places and the likely demand over the next 10 years after taking account of the impact of the increased use of alternatives to custody. Actual progress in addressing overcrowding will depend on delivery of these and other developments, precise timescales for which have not yet been set.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is meant by "approved activities", as referred to in target 7 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  An approved activity is a shorter form of group work (minimum 20 hours) which addresses criminogenic need, targets issues thought to be related to offending patterns, or which focuses on life skills, employability core skills and/or throughcare pre-release issues.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prison rehabilitation programmes will be fully accredited, as referred to in target 7 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The targets for fully accredited programmes as a proportion of prison rehabilitation programmes has been set as follows:

  


2002-03 
  

50% 
  



2003-04 
  

60% 
  



2004-05 
  

70%

Public Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the General Agreement on Trade in Services is a key motivating factor in increasing the use of private finance initiative and public private partnership projects in public services.

Mr Andy Kerr: The General Agreement on Trade in Services is not a key motivating factor in increasing the use of private finance initiative and public private partnership projects in public services.

Single European Currency

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions it has issued to NHS boards and trusts about preparing for the possible adoption of the euro as the national currency of the UK.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the UK Government’s prepare and decide policy, preparatory work for the possible adoption of the euro is under way. This work takes place at both the UK level and at the Scottish level.

  NHS boards and trusts have been asked to undertake a review of the implications of any possible changeover to the euro. NHS bodies have also been asked to assess the practical steps required and to submit implementation plans to the Scottish Executive.

  Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in the Treasury’s Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

Single European Currency

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what sums (a) have been spent in the current year and in each of the last five years and (b) are planned to be spent over the next three years by each NHS board and trust in respect of preparing for the possible adoption of the euro as the national currency of the UK.

Malcolm Chisholm: As part of on-going strategic planning, NHSScotland bodies have been requested to produce individual outline changeover plans for any possible changeover, similar to that produced by the Scottish Executive during 1999. This was a limited management pre-planning exercise carried out from within agreed running costs. Resources have not been diverted from patient care.

  As part of the pre-planning exercise, NHSScotland bodies were required to produce resource profiles that might be required for different activities during various phases in the event of a possible changeover to the euro.

  This exercise did not constitute an estimate of the costs of a possible future changeover. It is not possible at this stage to produce estimates of the cost of a changeover to the NHSScotland. The cost of a changeover would be dependent on the timing, the approach taken and individual management decisions.

  Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in the Treasury’s Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

Single European Currency

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the cost across all its departments of preparing for the possible adoption of the euro as the national currency of the UK.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive (and UK Government) has made no estimate of the cost of a possible changeover to the euro, either to the public sector or business.

  The cost of a possible changeover would depend on timing, overall approach taken and individual management decisions.

  Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in HM Treasury’s Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

Social Work

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards establishing a new honours degree level qualification for social workers as announced in the Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce on 18 April 2002.

Cathy Jamieson: Significant progress has been made over the summer months developing the proposed curriculum, including the place of practice learning in the new degree. I have now instructed the issue of a consultation document to seek the views of the social work profession and other key stakeholders before plans are finalised. The consultation paper has been issued today and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Student Finance

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reimburse colleges to allow them to offer fee-waivers to individuals of pensionable age that are not in receipt of public benefits.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no plans to change the current fee-waiver policy.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether students that take a one year break from their higher education course are eligible to apply for a young students' bursary in 2002-03 while continuing students on the same course are not and, if so, what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Iain Gray: The new student support arrangements, including eligibility for the Young Students’ Bursary and liability for the Graduate Endowment, apply to Scottish domiciled students who started full-time higher education courses at a Scottish institution from 2001-02.

  Students who started a continuous programme of study (i.e. successive courses of study at Higher National Certificate level and above without a break of one year or more) before 2001-02 remain on the system of support which was in place when they commenced their studies.

  Students who started a course prior to 2001-02, and who voluntarily interrupted their studies for one year or more, are considered to have commenced a new continuous programme of study when they resume. Such students are, therefore, treated in the same way as new students and will be supported under the new arrangements which include eligibility for the Young Students’ Bursary and liability for the Graduate Endowment.

  We have always recognised that it is important that, when students start a course of study, they know in advance what support will be available to them for the duration of their course. Whenever we have made changes to the student support system in the past we have, therefore, endeavoured to ensure that this is the case by specifying that students should always continue on the system of support which was in effect when they began their course until they complete or abandon it.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all specific mechanisms that will be used for collecting monies under the graduate endowment scheme.

Iain Gray: Regulation 8 of The Graduate Endowment (Scotland) Regulations 2001 specifies that liable graduates may either pay the full amount of the endowment on the due date or take out a student loan under the existing income contingent loan scheme. Details of the collection arrangements are currently being finalised.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of award received from the Mature Students' Bursary Fund was in 2001-02.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not yet available. The guidance provided to institutions requests that they provide information to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland on the awards made from their Mature Students’ Bursary Fund allocations by 30 September each year. The returns will have to be collated and analysed before the information requested can be provided.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27005 by Mike Watson on 22 July 2002, why young Scottish-domiciled students from low income families pursuing studies in other parts of the UK are not entitled to support from the young students' bursary fund because of not being liable to pay graduate endowment and why the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport gave the answer to the question.

Iain Gray: The Graduate Endowment is an integral part of the new student support arrangements introduced for Scottish domiciled students studying full-time higher education courses in Scotland from 2001-02 including bursaries for young students from low income families.

  Liable graduates pay the graduate endowment in recognition of the higher education benefits they have received, including the financial support provided to the publicly funded institution at which the graduate studied. Because Scottish ministers do not provide financial support to institutions in other parts of the UK in respect of Scottish domiciled students who study there, such students are not liable to pay the graduate endowment. It would not have been fair to young Scottish domiciled students studying in Scotland if we extended the bursary part of the new support arrangements to Scottish domiciled students elsewhere in the UK without also extending liability for the graduate endowment.

  Under Standing Orders rule 13.5, any member of the Scottish Executive may answer a written question, other than those for the First Minister, Lord Advocate or the Solicitor General for Scotland.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will first receive payments under the graduate endowment scheme.

Iain Gray: The first payments under the graduate endowment scheme will be received in April 2005.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applicants for and (b) recipients of mature students' bursary support there were in (i) financial and (ii) academic years 2001-02.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not yet available. The guidance provided to institutions requests that they provide information to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland on the awards made from their Mature Students’ Bursary Fund allocations by 30 September each year. The returns will have to be collated and analysed before the information requested can be provided.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for mature students’ bursary support.

Iain Gray: Mature Students’ Bursaries are awards made on a discretionary basis by higher education institutions. The Scottish Executive provides general guidance on the eligibility criteria for the bursaries to the institutions. The bursaries are primarily intended to help mature students with the cost of registered or formal child care, housing and excess travel costs.

  To be eligible to apply for a bursary, students must be classified as mature for the purposes of student support i.e. they must be aged over 25 on the first day of the first academic year of the course, or have been married by the first day of the first academic year of the course or have been self supporting (from earnings or benefits) for any three years before the first day of the first academic year of the course. They must have entered a course of full-time higher education in or after session 2001-02 and be eligible for tuition fee support. They must also have applied for the full amount of student loan to which they are entitled.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided for the mature students' bursary fund during (a) academic and (b) financial years (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03, broken down by higher education institution.

Iain Gray: Institutions receive their allocation of the Mature Students’ Bursary Fund in a single instalment at the beginning of the academic year; the amounts are, therefore, the same for both the financial and academic years.

  


Further Education Colleges 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Aberdeen College of Further Education 
  

176,050 
  

210,492 
  



Angus College 
  

101,628 
  

109,812 
  



Anniesland College 
  

35,206 
  

48,635 
  



Ayr College 
  

126,728 
  

161,946 
  



Banff and Buchan College of Further Education 
  

33,455 
  

38,695 
  



Barony College of Further Education 
  

278 
  

4,061 
  



Borders College 
  

35,045 
  

26,710 
  



Cardonald College 
  

76,331 
  

133,965 
  



Central College of Commerce 
  

83,355 
  

121,599 
  



Clackmannan College of Further Education 
  

18,229 
  

32,928 
  



Clydebank College 
  

118,889 
  

150,124 
  



Coatbridge College 
  

143,846 
  

152,611 
  



Cumbernauld College 
  

42,260 
  

47,519 
  



Dumfries and Galloway College 
  

76,712 
  

89,773 
  



Dundee College 
  

169,423 
  

210,288 
  



Edinburgh’s Telford College 
  

76,697 
  

126,627 
  



Elmwood College 
  

31,036 
  

44,808 
  



Falkirk College of Technology 
  

135,492 
  

188,244 
  



Fife College of Further and Higher Education 
  

123,596 
  

151,964 
  



Glasgow College of Building and Printing 
  

74,984 
  

96,827 
  



Glasgow College of Food Technology 
  

29,517 
  

47,466 
  



Glasgow College of Nautical Studies 
  

48,656 
  

78,011 
  



Glenrothes College 
  

43,593 
  

48,339 
  



James Watt College of Further and Higher Education 
  

268,917 
  

393,790 
  



Jewel and Esk Valley College 
  

57,047 
  

80,095 
  



John Wheatley College 
  

10,648 
  

16,200 
  



Kilmarnock College 
  

110,602 
  

100,277 
  



Langside College 
  

80,566 
  

95,031 
  



Lauder College 
  

71,516 
  

75,172 
  



Motherwell College 
  

184,215 
  

225,052 
  



Newbattle Abbey 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Glasgow College 
  

59,472 
  

67,641 
  



Oatridge Agricultural College 
  

6,428 
  

9,445 
  



Reid Kerr College 
  

219,137 
  

278,235 
  



South Lanarkshire College 
  

54,643 
  

67,641 
  



Stevenson College 
  

46,660 
  

89,382 
  



Stow College 
  

55,748 
  

85,785 
  



West Lothian College 
  

47,106 
  

72,102 
  



  


Higher Education Institutions 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  




 
Aberdeen University 
  

88,243 
  

169,584 
  



Bell College of Technology 
  

99,802 
  

130,754 
  



Dundee University 
  

85,039 
  

177,970 
  



Edinburgh College of Art 
  

2,746 
  

18,090 
  



Edinburgh University 
  

88,767 
  

176,782 
  



Glasgow Caledonian University 
  

83,610 
  

283,128 
  



Glasgow School of Art 
  

11,583 
  

16,934 
  



Glasgow University 
  

91,247 
  

196,358 
  



Heriot-Watt University 
  

21,301 
  

59,266 
  



Napier University 
  

62,879 
  

110,342 
  



Queen Margaret College 
  

16,098 
  

71,873 
  



Robert Gordon University 
  

41,853 
  

115,596 
  



Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama 
  

2,885 
  

5,358 
  



Scottish Agricultural College 
  

14,087 
  

14,562 
  



St Andrews University 
  

18,730 
  

32,754 
  



Stirling University 
  

56,583 
  

101,150 
  



Strathclyde University 
  

97,621 
  

305,445 
  



University of Abertay Dundee 
  

56,020 
  

103,040 
  



University of Paisley 
  

66,873 
  

238,649 
  



  


UHI Millennium Institute 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Highland Theological College 
  

N/A 
  

3,686 
  



Inverness College 
  

63,040 
  

97,679 
  



Lews Castle College 
  

22,888 
  

43,757 
  



Moray College 
  

78,981 
  

110,147 
  



North Atlantic Fisheries College 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Highland College 
  

5,462 
  

9,387 
  



Orkney College 
  

7,406 
  

12,596 
  



Perth College 
  

71,980 
  

106,144 
  



Sabhal Mor Ostaig 
  

1,497 
  

1,861 
  



Shetland College of Further Education 
  

10,031 
  

9,817 
  



Total 
  

4,340,962 
  

6,700,000

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applicants for and (b) recipients of young students' bursary support there were in (i) financial and (ii) academic years 2001-02.

Iain Gray: The Young Students’ Bursary is provided as an entitlement based on the level of parental income. Eligibility for the bursary is assessed as part of the overall assessment of eligibility for student support. It is not applied for as a separate allowance.

  Young Students Bursary Awards are made to young, full-time students undertaking a properly validated higher education course. They are, therefore, made on an academic year and not a financial year basis.

  In academic year 2001-02, there were 13,579 recipients of the Young Students' Bursary.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average award was received from the young students' bursary fund in (i) financial and (ii) academic years 2001-02.

Iain Gray: Young Students Bursary Awards are made to young, full-time students undertaking a properly validated higher education course. They are, therefore, made on an academic year and not a financial year basis. The average award for academic year 2001-02 was £1,366.

  The Young Students’ Bursary is provided as an entitlement based on the level of parental income. The average value of awards, therefore, reflects the average value of parental income among young, full-time students.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much child care support was available for full-time students in higher and further education in (a) financial and (b) academic years (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03.

Iain Gray: Lone Parent students in higher education who incur formal child care costs were entitled to a grant up to £1,000 in 2001-02, in addition to their standard living cost support. This has been increased to up to £1,025 for each eligible student in 2002-03 in line with inflation.

  Discretionary bursary support, primarily towards the costs of child care, is also available to eligible mature students in higher education through the Mature Students Bursary Fund (MSBF) administered by colleges and universities. £4.3 million was distributed to institutions in respect of the MSBF at the start of academic year 2001-02 and £6.7 million at the start of 2002-03.

  £6 million is available in each academic year to further education students, through the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, for help towards child care costs.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its consultation paper, Scotland: the Learning Nation - Helping Students , whether the overall debt of students that it supports is the same or less than in 2000 following implementation of the graduate endowment scheme and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Iain Gray: The overall debt of students will be affected by a number of factors including the extent to which the available student loan is taken up by individual students, the extent to which they obtain borrowings from commercial sources and the extent to which the mix of personal circumstances in the overall student population changes year on year.

  The support available under the new student support arrangements to students who started courses in 2001-02 is such that no student will have more debt than they would have had with the same personal circumstances under the arrangements in place for students in 2000-01.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of debt on completion of a university degree has been of students supported by the (a) Students Awards Agency Scotland and (b) Student Loans Company in each year since 1995.

Iain Gray: Scottish domiciled higher education students will have their application for student support, including the student loan, assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Information on individual students’ loan eligibility is then passed to the Student Loans Company (SLC) which provides the appropriate level of loan and manages the individual students’ accounts. Other aspects of the student support package are provided by SAAS and are not repayable unless an overpayment has occurred.

  Prior to 1999 eligibility for student loans was assessed by individual colleges and universities. Information on the loans taken out by students who started courses before that date will, therefore, be identified by SLC on the basis of their place of study and not their place of residence.

  The average level of debt will also be dependent upon a number of variable factors such as the fact that students do not always borrow the maximum amount available to them, sub-degree courses at HNC/HND level will attract student loan funding and that degree courses will be completed at different times of the year. Any average would be subject to frequent change dependent upon each individual student’s behaviour and length of study at higher education level. To provide the information requested would, therefore, be time consuming and incur a disproportionate cost.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance’s recommendation that full-time students that are genuinely unable to find work during the summer vacation should have access to benefits, on the basis of what evidence the recommendation was made.

Iain Gray: The Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance published its final report Student Finance: Fairness for the Future, the Consultation Process Report and Research Reports Volumes I and II, in December 1999. Copies of these reports are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 4126, 3939 and 3967 respectively).

  The final report and a summary of the oral evidence submitted to the committee is available on their website at: www.studentfinance.org.uk. The full archive of all the evidence submitted to the committee can be viewed at Saughton House in Edinburgh, by appointment, on telephone number 0131 244 8232.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance’s recommendation that full-time students that are genuinely unable to find work during the summer vacation should have access to benefits, whether it will make any representations to Her Majesty’s Government in respect of this recommendation.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of issues including the interface between the student support and benefits systems.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether monies received under the graduate endowment scheme will be held in its own account or paid to Her Majesty’s Treasury; what the reasons are for the position on this matter, and what steps it has taken in order to ensure that all such monies will be hypothecated for future support of Scottish students.

Iain Gray: The Executive will follow section 2 of The Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001. Income arising from the graduate endowment will be accounted for in the Executive’s resource accounts and applied for the purposes of student support.

Victim Support

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many victims of crime (a) have indicated that they want support and (b) currently receive support.

Mr Jim Wallace: Thirty-four per cent of victims who responded to the 2000 Scottish Crime Survey indicated that they wanted support. Sixty-three per cent of those indicated that they received support.

Victim Support

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its 12% target increase of victims of crime that want support having been offered or successfully sought that support is a percentage of the present number receiving support or a percentage of all victims that want support, as referred to in target 5 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: The percentage increase in the number of victims of crime that want support, having been offered or successfully sought that support, is primarily a tool for measuring improvements in the support provided to victims of crime. The key target which has been set by the Executive is that at least 75% of victims who want support will successfully receive support.

Victim Support

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum standard of support will be offered to victims of crime receiving support, in line with target 5 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: For the purposes of the Building a Better Scotland target, support refers to the practical or emotional support provided to victims by a statutory or voluntary agency. Each agency has published its own action plan setting out the support which it offers as part of the Scottish Strategy for Victims .

Victim Support

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its 12% target increase of victims of crime that want support having been offered or successfully sought that support includes support to victims of crime offered by the Crown Office, as referred to in target 5 in the justice section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Mr Jim Wallace: For the purposes of the Building a Better Scotland target, support refers to any type of practical or emotional support provided to victims by a statutory or voluntary agency. That includes support offered by the Crown Office to victims of crime.

Victim Support

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, following a complaint of a criminal offence to the police, what information is provided thereafter to the victim by the (a) police, (b) prosecution authorities, (c) courts, (d) criminal justice social work departments, (e) prison service and (f) parole board regarding the (i) victim services available, (ii) progress of the case against the accused and (iii) progress of the sentence of the person convicted of the offence.

Mr Jim Wallace: Following a complaint of a criminal offence to the police, the information provided by the organisations set out is as follows:

  (a) the police refer all victims who want to be referred to Victim Support Scotland. Support from specially trained police officers is also available. Procedures are in place to ensure that, where a report is submitted to the procurator fiscal’s office, the victim is informed.

  (b) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is rolling out a Victim Information and Advice service across Scotland. At present, the service covers six of the 11 procurator fiscal areas. It provides information about the progress of the case, as well as providing information on the criminal justice system in general, offering support where required and making referrals to other agencies who can provide support to victims.

  (c) the Scottish Court Service has published standards to ensure that all victims and witnesses present are kept informed on a regular basis, on the day of the trial, of any developments, changes and delays in the management of the case, including the reason for delays, changes in venue and similar administrative issues. Victims are also supported by the Witness Service, which has been set up in all 48 sheriff courts and will be rolled out to all High Courts in 2003. Operated by Victim Support Scotland, the Witness Service offers victims and witnesses attending court non case-specific information, advice and support, including information about the workings of a court, and the opportunity to visit the court building beforehand.

  (d) Criminal justice social work departments may provide information and support to victims and witnesses on occasion, particularly when there is no witness service available.

  (e) The Scottish Prison Service currently operates a victim notification scheme, for victims of violent or sexual crimes whose assailant is sentenced to a custodial sentence of four years or more. The scheme ensures that, when the offender is about to be released from custody, the Scottish Prison Service will so inform victims who have asked to be informed.

  (f) In relation to the Parole Board, arrangements exist for victims of more serious crimes to make representations to the Parole Board on their concerns with regard to the release of the offender. Proposals to strengthen these arrangements are included in the current Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.

Young Offenders

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the number of persistent young offenders, as referred to in target 2 in the education and young people section of Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys .

Cathy Jamieson: The number of young offenders going through the hearings system is monitored by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration. In their annual report, SCRA publish data on the number of young people with one to three, over three and over 10 offences in one year. In addition to the focus on the last category, SCRA is developing further measures which will provide more information to the Executive and youth justice teams on the frequency of offending.

Young Offenders

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any target for reducing the number of persistent young offenders in each year to 2006.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects any reduction in the number of persistent young offenders by May 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: In Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys the Executive set out our target that by 2006, the number of persistent young offenders will be 10% less than in 2000-01. This target is not broken down by year.